The Cleveland Cavaliers briefly held a fourth-quarter lead, but fell apart thanks to a 12-0 run by the New York Knicks. The Knicks came away with a 119-111 victory to open their season.
The grades are based
on what our expectations are for each of them.
Donovan Mitchell
31 points, 12-25 shooting, 2-9 from three, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 19 minutes
Good news everyone, Donovan Mitchell is still good at basketball. As the Cavaliers’ offense faltered for long stretches of the Knicks game, one thing was for certain: Mitchell was the engine.
Mitchell, like the rest of the team, struggled offensively from the perimeter. However, everything inside the three-point line was as efficient as he could be. Overall, it was a decent start to the season.
Grade: A
Evan Mobley
22 points, 8-18 shooting, 4-8 from three, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
Mobley, for stretches, looked like the most dynamic player on the floor. Which is great, but if the Cavaliers were to win this game, they would need Mobley to have carried his momentum throughout and especially to close the game, and that was not the case. The three-point shot looked better than last season, and the release was quick and confident. Everything defensively left room to be desired, and he wasn’t as dominant on the glass as I would have hoped.
Grade: B+
Jarrett Allen
4 points, 1-4 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assists
Bad. Bad. Bad.
Allen started his televised game on ESPN saying how the lights looked brighter than normal.
BOY, THEY MUST’VE BEEN BLINDING.
Allen was invisible on both sides of the ball. The Knicks were down their two best defenders, and Allen made no impact. Truly an awful start to Allen’s season. Hopefully, this is the worst game of his season.
Grade: F
Support us and rep the Buckeyes with Homage
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. The above shirt can be bought at the link HERE. Homage’s entire Ohio State collection can be found HERE.
Sam Merrill
19 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds
Sam Merrill was the most aggressive three-point shooter and the most efficient on the night. He was as good as one would hope from the Cavaliers’ newest extension in the offseason. Nights like these will make it so Merrill continues to have value on a night-to-night basis for the Cavaliers.
Grade: A+
Jaylon Tyson
5 points, 2-4 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Whew boy. Jaylon Tyson got the nod with De’Andre Hunter out. I wish Hunter suited up. Tyson was rough, plain and simple. After his first three, all other aspects of his game plummeted. Defensively, he looked lost and overwhelmed with the pacing the Knicks had. Within one game, Tyson proceeded to start, lose minutes to Proctor, and have his role in doubt for the foreseeable future.
Grade: D
Dean Wade
10 points, 3-3 shooting, 3-3 from three, 2 rebounds
People won’t love this, but I loved this game from Wade. He was not firing away, but in terms of what I have come to expect of Wade, this was as good as it gets. Hustle plays and knockdown threes right now are the bread and butter.
Grade: A
Lonzo Ball
3 point, 1-7 3pt shooting, 4 rebounds, 6 assists
Lonzo provided everything but a jump shot. He did his best Isaac Okoro tribute in his debut (I’m joking-ish). The passing was forced at times, but overall, I am not too concerned about Ball. He has a reliable shot these days. The selection was just off today.
Grade: C-
Larry Nance Jr
10 points, 4-7 shooting, 2-2 3pt shooting,6 rebounds, 2 turnovers
Nance made his mark in the second quarter. He hit some nice threes and was a good pick-and-roll partner at various points. This version of Nance is a great fit for the Cavaliers and should continue to flash in spurts, and that’s what they need.
Grade: A-
Craig Porter Jr
2 points, 1-2 shooting, 2 rebounds,
Any momentum Craig Porter Jr. had from the preseason appears to have evaporated into thin air. Yikes. The step back three that clanked off the side of the rim. was tough.
Grade: D-
Tyrese Proctor
5 points, 2-5 shooting, 1-3 from three, 2 assists
Proctor already looks like he could be coming for CPJ and Tyson’s minutes. Proctor was composed and capable. Given what the Cavaliers showed tonight would do a ton for this version of the depleted Cavaliers.
